Correlation of the Barremian belemnite successions of northwest Europe and the Ulyanovsk – Saratov area (Russian Platform)

Abstract

The marine sedimentary successions of Barremian age yield, both in northwest Europe and on the Russian Platform, diverse and abundant belemnite faunas. These include the genera Praeoxyteuthis, Aulacoteuthis and Oxyteuthis and are attributed to the boreal belemnite family Oxyteuthididae. The Oxyteuthididae are endemic to northwest Europe (northern Germany, northeast England, North Sea) and the Russian Platform, where they evolved in isolation. They possibly derived from the belemnite genus Acroteuthis in Late Hauterivian time. Phylogenetically they are interpreted as the latest off shoot of the Belemnitina, which became extinct in the Early Aptian. Since ammonites are extremely rare on the Russian Platform oxyteuthid belemnites have been used to establish a biozonation scheme with seven belemnite zones (from bottom to top): Praeoxyteuthis hibolitiformis Zone (Early Barremian), Praeoxyteuthis jasikofiana Zone (Early Barremian), Praeoxyteuthis pugio Zone (earliest Barremian), Aulacoteuthis descendens Zone (late Early Barremian), Oxyteuthis brunsvicensis Zone (early Late Barremian), Oxyteuthis germanica Zone (Late Barremian), and Oxyteuthis lahuseni Zone (latest Barremian / Aptian). Apart from the O. lahuseni Zone this zonation can be correlated to the well established belemnite scheme of northwest Europe, allowing a detailed correlation of the Barremian of both areas.